CVE-2018-3080 in MySQL Server
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the MySQL Server component of Oracle MySQL (subcomponent: Server: DDL). Supported versions that are affected are 8.0.11 and prior. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise MySQL Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of MySQL Server. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.9 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3080 resides within the MySQL Server component, specifically within the Server: DDL subcomponent, affecting versions 8.0.11 and earlier. This represents a significant security flaw that undermines the availability of critical database infrastructure. The vulnerability operates at a foundational level within MySQL's data definition language processing mechanisms, which are responsible for managing database schema changes and structural modifications. The affected version range indicates this issue persisted across a substantial portion of the MySQL 8.0 release series, suggesting a widespread impact across enterprise deployments that relied on this database platform for mission-critical operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain DDL operations that can trigger memory corruption or resource exhaustion conditions within the MySQL server process. Attackers with high-privileged network access can exploit this weakness through multiple network protocols, making the attack surface particularly broad and challenging to defend against. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable means that skilled attackers can leverage this flaw with minimal technical complexity, requiring only network connectivity and appropriate administrative credentials. The specific mechanism involves malformed or specially crafted DDL statements that, when processed by the affected MySQL server, cause the server to enter an unstable state leading to complete denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple service disruption, as it can result in complete system unavailability that affects all database operations. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability causes MySQL Server to either hang indefinitely or experience frequently repeatable crashes, effectively rendering the database service unusable for legitimate business operations. This complete denial of service scenario can have cascading effects throughout enterprise environments where MySQL serves as a core data storage solution for applications, web services, and business-critical systems. Organizations relying on MySQL for their database infrastructure face significant operational risk, potentially experiencing extended downtime, data access interruptions, and service degradation that can impact customer satisfaction and business continuity.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1499 technique for Network Denial of Service, where the attack leverages database service instability to achieve availability compromise. The CVSS score of 4.9 reflects the vulnerability's moderate severity in terms of exploitability but high impact on system availability, with the vector indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, and high privileges required. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to MySQL 8.0.12 or later versions where the vulnerability has been patched, implementing network segmentation to limit access to database services, and monitoring for unusual patterns in database connection attempts or resource consumption that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date database software in enterprise environments, as even minor version differences can represent significant security improvements. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected MySQL versions and prioritize remediation efforts based on the criticality of the database services. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege management can reduce the attack surface by limiting the number of accounts with the elevated privileges required to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security audits and penetration testing should include database-specific assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other database components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar availability-focused attacks.